CBCF EXECUTIVE ORDER TRACKER
Restoring Trust in the Smithsonian Institution Executive Order #14416 Date Issued: July 24, 2026 Topic: Civil Rights, Education
WHAT DOES THIS EXECUTIVE ORDER DO? This executive order directs the Secretary of the Interior, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA), and the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy to use any and all available authorities to encourage the Smithsonian Institution to adopt the corrections identified in a new White House report, including by identifying any available mechanisms involving funding and contract conditions. The order implements the findings of Saving America's Story, a 162-page report released on July 4, 2026, which concludes that the National Museum of American History (NMAH) has undergone what the administration calls “ideological capture.” The report frames the museum as having drifted from historical education into taxpayerfunded political activism. This executive order builds directly on Executive Order 14253, "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History," which directed executive officials to pursue the removal of what the administration described as divisive, race-centered content across the Smithsonian's museums. This executive order directs the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the National Park Service (NPS), to install temporary signage on NPSmaintained sidewalks and walkways used to reach NMAH. The signage must inform visitors of the report's findings, state that the museum's exhibits should be renovated in accordance with those findings, and direct visitors to other sources that the administration considers accurate.
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